A Reply to Monteiro et al.'s (2020) 'Alcohol Policy and Coronavirus: An Open Research Agenda'.

Comments on article by M. G. Monteiro et al. (see record 2020-61236-001). Monteiro and colleagues (2020) wrote that we might see increases in alcohol-related morbidity and mortality because of the economic decline related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also noted that there could be increases in alcohol-attributable suicides. The current authors wish to point out that there might be policy-relevant linkages among these phenomena. Several studies reviewed and suggest that suicide is frequently associated with acute alcohol consumption. Acute alcohol use might be one of the mechanisms underlying the complex connections between unemployment and suicide. Importantly, the current authors' research shows that alcohol ingestion itself might be a key risk factor for suicide during and shortly after economic contractions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)